Suozzi and legislators fighting

[Renew Deal]

Party eyes rift before election
Nassau Democrats alarmed as Suozzi loses legislative support on correction officers’ deal, gets involved in altercation with colleague

September 23, 2005


Six weeks before election day, tensions between County Executive Thomas Suozzi and his allies in the Nassau legislature have exploded as Democratic lawmakers have defied their party's standard bearer on policy and politics.

Within the past week, Suozzi suffered a defeat when three Democrats voted with Republican lawmakers to kill his contract deal with correction officers; Suozzi and a lawmaker were pulled apart by bystanders who feared they were about to come to blows; and Suozzi infuriated another Democrat who opposed the jail contract by calling his boss.

Yesterday, two Suozzi allies appeared with leaders of three police unions who have endorsed Republican Gregory Peterson for county executive, demanding at a news conference for the county to hire more officers than Suozzi has budgeted. When Police Benevolent Association Gary DelaRaba called Suozzi "a spoiled brat," Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick) and Joseph Scannell (D-Baldwin) sat silently beside him.

"It bothers me," Suozzi said yesterday. "I think they are wrong to be as heavily influenced by the police unions as they are."
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http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lisuoz0923,0,1705301.story?coll=ny-main-tabheads1

[PennyK]

1. Glad to see

that my man Denenberg is with Suozzi.